Resemblance
by Izzu
Summary: Mitsuzane did... looked more like him lately.


Been a while since I wrote Gaim this wasn't even from the unfinished WIPs batch! Blame the Gaim event vids or something. This got derailed near the end cos I have no idea how to not leave the scene not hanging.

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><p><span>Resemblance<span>

By Izzu

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It's probably because lately he had been so busy with work that he barely noticed. In fact so busy that he never noticed Mitsuzane having 'another' side of his life that he never knew. If only he could go back and redo some of it, but what's done is done. And as much as this turn of event was unsavoury... it might prove to be at his advantage.

To be honest, he had taken a liking to Mitsuzane's friend and a part of him was reluctant to do anything that might harm that kid. Or anyone else, come to think of it. As much as Project Ark was concerned, those Beat Rider kids had done enough on their part. There's no need to get them into more danger than they already have. (Takatora thought about that one unfortunate child, Hase Ryouji... before shaking his head to brush it off.) Yet seeing how some of them were so strong-minded like that Kazuraba Kouta, it could be hard to try to dissuade them with just words. Everything else he'd done so far didn't work as he hoped.

So having Mitsuzane working with him while being amongst those Beat Rider kids might achieve something that he couldn't. To try convincing those kids to no longer bother themselves with Yggdrasil or Helheim.

But that matter aside...

Takatora wondered if he was just imagining it. Mitsuzane's hair had started to grow long. And despite that particular point shouldn't be such a big issue... he couldn't help wondering about it. While it's natural for people's hair to grow after some time, well... Mitsuzane usually wore his hair short and neat (and he can't help adding cute alongside) due to school regulations and other things; so with the new knowledge about Mitsuzane's dancing, he wondered if Mitsuzane growing his hair longer was also another phase his brother was having.

Takatora shook his head again. Perhaps he was overthinking this...

_"Nii-san?"_

Takatora jumped as he looked up to see Mitsuzane staring back at him. He smiled nervously before straightening up. "Yes?"

"Is something wrong? You've been staring at nothing for some time..."

"Ah!" Takatora gasped. "It's nothing." And then his curiousity kept nagging him inside, "Well..."

Mitsuzane gave him a curious look as he fidgeted.

"Your... hair... I, can't help noticing that it's grown longer now."

Mitsuzane immediately blushed (how could the little kid do that so freely?) and started fiddling with his hair.

"Oh... yeah. I thought of letting it grow a bit freely. Did you... did you like it?"

Takatora started feeling like quite a number of butterflies suddenly lodging themselves inside his stomach as he stuttered. "Y-yes... it... looks good on you..."

And suddenly the realization came. The more he stared at Mitsuzane now, the more the child in front of him resembled himself. Albeit younger and a bit smaller... is it possible that Mitsuzane was trying to grow his own hair like...

Suddenly, he felt his own cheeks start to burn hotly and now struggling to keep the edge of his mouth from twitching into a wide grin. _No... Mitsuzane can't be...! _Of course both of them ARE siblings so it shouldn't be a surprise that they resembled each other closely. But still...

"_Nii-san_? Are you ill?"

_So cute..._

"It's nothing," Takatora said again as he grinned slightly. He got up from his chair and ran a hand over his brother's hair. As much as he felt relief that he no longer needed to keep any more secrets from Mitsuzane, a part of him still wanted to keep him away from harm. Kind of hard to do that now.

"How's your day? School?"

Mitsuzane shrugged. "As usual. But _nii-san_... suppose I should leave school altogether? I mean... not like the things I'm doing for Yggdrasil was affecting my studies, but most of the things at school I already knew. And rather than spending half a day at school, I prefer to help you at work. Even before this you've worked yourself so mu—"

Takatora nodded, not really paying attention. "We'll talk about that later," he said, still fiddling with Mitsuzane's hair. Suddenly he recalled a much _older_ memory of a five-year-old Mitsuzane wearing his old junior highschool uniform. He smiled at the memory.

And it seemed Mitsuzane also started to realise what was occupying his mind the most at the moment as his brother grabbed his hand away.

"It-it wasn't like I was trying to look like you!" exclaimed Mitsuzane aloud as the the child blushed again. "It just... happened to grow like this..."

Takatora pulled the child closer.

"I didn't say I hated it," he replied before adding. "Sure you don't want to cut your hair shorter?"

He got hit in response as Mitsuzane stomped towards his room. Takatora smiled weakly before returning to his desk.

The progress report of Project Ark was still on display as Takatora turned towards his laptop. The one burden he still loathed to share with his brother. He sighed.

Seeing Mitsuzane trying so hard to become like him was flattering, but sibling resemblance aside... a part of him hoped that his brother don't turn up exactly like himself. Takatora opened up the messenger inbox folder and reread some of the recent corresspondence, asking him WHEN would he start the project in motion.

Yeah, there's no need for Mitsuzane to become _exactly_ like him.


End file.
